Wisps of Green
by Pawthorn
Summary: Morgause plans to turn Arthur and Lancelot against each other through jealousy, but things don't turn out as expected when Gwaine enters the picture...
1. The Plot

_This is set at the end of Series 3, so there are slight spoilers for everything up to that point._

_Disclaimer: I don't own Merlin. Now you know what to get me for Christmas!_

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><p>Morgause held the small pouch lovingly in her hands, caressing it occasionally. She was still injured from the battle for the Cup of Life, but she was slowly regaining her strength. She was ready to put her next plan into action.<p>

"Sister," Morgana's greeting pulled her out of her reverie, "You wished to see me?"

"I did," Morgause smiled and beckoned her sibling over, "Come, sit by me, and see the power that will destroy our enemies and put you back on the path to ruling Camelot."

Morgana's cold eye's lit with anticipation as she knelt by her sister. Morgause raised the leather pouch in her hands and eased it open, giving Morgana a glimpse of the fine powder inside. Green eyes met brown as Morgana's brow wrinkled in confusion. Morgause smirked as she continued, "I too have seen glimpses of the future, and they have shown me Camelot's weaknesses. I have seen knight fighting knight, friend turning on friend because of one thing… jealousy."

"Between who?" Morgana smiled eagerly, "Over what?"

"One of Arthur's knights is not as pure as he would have others think," Morgause said slyly, "Sir Lancelot longs for something he cannot have, something he once had a claim to, something he will never be allowed to possess again."

Realization dawned in Morgana's eyes, "Gwen!"

Morgause nodded. "All it would take is a small push, a gentle nudge, and he would let go of his restraint and try to win Guinevere back."

"Arthur would never allow it," Morgana wanted to laugh with joy, the plan was so simple, so brilliant, "They would quarrel, and some knights are bound to take Lancelot's side. Their so-called round table would split in two!"

"They will do more than quarrel," said Morgause, "They will tear each other to pieces, and they will do the same to anyone who tries to get between them." She raised her pouch. "This dust is extremely rare, valuable, and magical. If the incantation is said and more than one person breathes it in, whatever they share love for will become the object of intense jealousy. It could be a possession, a place, a pet, a friend, a family member…"

"Or a woman," Morgana finished.

"Yes," a wicked gleam came to Morgause's eye, "And the more powerful the feeling, the more powerful the enchantment. They will become possessive, feel angry and envious if Gwen spends time or speaks with anyone else. They will have no remorse, no empathy. They will not care what Gwen wants— they will see only their own desires. Even the one she chooses to be with will have no peace. He will always be on guard and suspicious. Is she thinking about the other? Is she going to change her mind and leave? Their love will be twisted into an untamable monster. In the end, the two will see no choice but to kill each other. They will tear themselves apart, along with Gwen and anyone who stands between them."

Morgana's eyes shone with excitement and determination as she took the pouch and met her sister's eyes.

"What must I do?"


	2. The Poof

_Disclaimer: Merlin isn't mine._

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><p>"So... are you enjoying Camelot?"<p>

"Yes, sire."

Silence.

"No problems adjusting, no homesickness?"

"No, sire."

A painfully long, awkward silence.

"So… your time in Camelot thus far has been… that is to say you're finding it… Camelot that is, finding it, erm… enjoyable and, er… problem free?"

"Yes, sire."

Who knew silence could be so bloody _loud_?

Arthur sighed. He was trying. He really was. When Lancelot had first come to Camelot, they had gotten on fairly well. Now, there was nothing but tension between them. Arthur knew the cause, knew that Lancelot still had feelings for Gwen. Frankly, he was grateful for how noble Lance was about the whole situation. To repay him (and to ensure that this behavior continued in the future), Arthur was trying to find some common ground with the knight, trying to get him to open up and chat a bit.

Arthur shook his head. All he was doing was making a damned fool out of himself! He was acting like—oh, God forbid—he was acting like _Merlin_! This realization did not improve his mood. He let the silence extend between Lancelot and himself as the continued walking their forest patrol, side by side. Speaking of Merlin, maybe Arthur should have brought the idiot with him—he was friends with Lancelot, and Lord knows Merlin could talk until—

"It's colder here."

Arthur was startled by Lancelot's sudden statement, but managed to give a "Hmm" of encouragement.

"I'm used to living by the coast," Lancelot continued, "The water can brew some awful storms, but it also keeps the land warm in the winter, cooler in the summer."

"Hmm."

Silence reigned once more.

"I've rarely been to the sea," Arthur said.

"Hmm."

Arthur cursed his inability to keep a stream of conversation going. Maybe Merlin's endless prattle had made him forget the effort involved in real conversation.

"I've been thinking," Arthur ventured, "What if we took the knights and rode around to all of their home villages? We might be able to recruit some more good men."

"Really?" Lancelot met his eyes for the first time since they'd left Camelot.

Actually, no, he hadn't been thinking any such thing until this moment, but now that he said it, it seemed like quite a good idea.

"Yes, I've been considering it for quite some time now," Arthur lied, confidently, "If the people see that regular men, not just nobles, can fight for their land and do extraordinary things, it'll give them faith, and pride in their kingdom." Damn, this really was a good idea. Now to send the message home, "I thought I'd see what you thought about it before I bring it to all the knights."

Finally, there was the hint of a smile, the humble ducking of the head, then slight straightening of the shoulders in pride—Arthur knew he'd won the man over, for now at least.

"It sounds like an excellent idea, your highness," Lancelot met his eyes again, this time with a mischievous grin, "Though I doubt all of our homes will be as quiet as my little village. We'll probably have to search every pub and wayside inn to find the strange and terrifying place that produced—"

"Princess! Lancelot!"

"Gwaine," Arthur finished dryly, as they turned to face the knight who was half jogging up to meet them.

"Just the men I wanted to see," the errant knight said with a grin Arthur supposed was meant to be charming, "Have either of you seen Merlin?"

"No," Arthur said, "I gave him the day off."

"Yeah, Gaius said as much," Gwaine nodded, "Told me he sent Merlin looking for some healing-plant things. I thought he might have crossed paths with you."

"Haven't seen him," Arthur said, shaking his head. Leave it to Merlin to squander a day off doing work for someone else.

"I think the place he normally gathers herbs is just a bit further," said Lancelot, gesturing ahead. Gwaine and Arthur looked at him questioningly. He shrugged, "I sometimes go with him. It's nice to get away from the city every now and then."

Arthur thought there was probably more to it than that. Bandits, rogues, and enemies of Camelot often made their way through this forest. Arthur was glad to know his knights were watching out for his scrawny manservant when he couldn't. Actually, it was nice to have a group of knights that accepted and enjoyed Merlin tagging along. They were also teaching him to fight and track, and were generally a positive influence. Except when…

"Gwaine," said Arthur, now slightly suspicious, "Why exactly are you looking for Merlin?"

"Just wanted to spend some time with my friend," said Gwaine in mock innocence, "Maybe have a sit down someplace—"

"Someplace being a pub?" interrupted Lancelot.

"And involving many tankards of ail?" Arthur guessed.

"I am shocked," said Gwaine, somewhat melodramaticly, "Absolutely shocked. And wounded. Wounded and injured and hurt and shocked. You think the only reason I want to spend time with my friend Merlin is to get him drunk and listen to the incredibly amusing things he says? For shame! I had no intention of going anywhere near a public house… but now that you mention it…"

"Of course, Gwaine, I don't know _what_ we were thinking," Arthur said, rolling his eye's good-naturedly, "But Merlin might not be so eager to go with you after the last time the two of you—"

_POOF!_

As Lancelot, Gwaine, and Arthur entered a clearing, there was a small explosion right above their heads. All three looked up, only to be showered with a cloud of what looked like swirling green smoke. Each rapidly drew his sword and scanned the clearing for any signs of attack. Seconds stretched on, the hazy cloud faded, and there was no sign of a threat.

"Well," Gwaine huffed, flipping his hair out of his face, "That was interesting."

"What was that?" Lancelot sheathed his sword and the others followed suit, "Magic, or some sort of natural event?"

"There was nothing natural about that," said Arthur, looking up toward the source of the explosion, "It was either sorcery, or some sort of mechanical device. I don't see any sign of it now. Come on, we'd better get back to Camelot. Maybe Gaius will know what that was all about. We can ask him and Merlin about it."

"Merlin?" Gwaine questioned sharply.

"Yes," Arthur replied, rather irritably; he actually hadn't meant to mention Merlin, "I often consult with him about this sort of thing. He helps me talk through problems like this."

"Yeah, I know that, Your Royal Highness," Gwaine sneered, "I just haven't ever heard you acknowledge that you need his help before. Don't talk at him for too long, though. We'll want to get to the pub early."

Arthur was a ready to snap back a reply, but Lancelot beat him to it. "Maybe you should see if Merlin's going to go along with you before you make too many plans. Maybe he won't want to waste his time sitting around watching you get drunk. Again."

"What else has he got to do?" scoffed Gwaine, "Listen to you give him lectures on honor and duty? Polish the boots of His Royal Prattness?"

"Hey!" Arthur barked, glaring at Gwaine, "Just because Merlin calls me a prat doesn't mean _you_ can."

"Really, _sire_?" Lancelot laughed scornfully, "You think Merlin calls you that as a friendly nick-name? Merlin calls you a prat because you act like one. He's just the only one that has the nerve to say it to your face."

"Sire!" Sir Leon rode up to the three men, smiling, "Is all well in the forest today?"

"Actually, we ran into something strange," Arthur realized that he had unconsciously started gripping the hilt of his sword. He tried to relax. He must have been more shaken up by the unusual cloud than he thought. "We're heading back to Camelot to ask Gaius about it."

"I'll accompany you back," said Leon as he dismounted.

The rest of the walk was very quiet. This time, Arthur was grateful for the silence.


	3. The Problem

_Disclaimer: Still don't own Merlin_

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><p>"You're sure?" Morgause's forehead wrinkled in concern, "All three of them were exposed?"<p>

"Yes," Morgana hissed through clenched teeth. She was livid—angry at herself and Arthur and his stupid knights who couldn't even walk into a trap right, "It was supposed to be just Lancelot and Arthur, but then the drunk one came lumbering up and… argh!" Her eyes flashed gold and several candles in the room exploded, "They were right there! It should have worked, I should have…" Morgana sighed lowering her eyes, "I'm sorry Sister, I failed you."

"Morgana," Morgause smiled, "You have not failed. It is unfortunate that our original plan did not work, but these men must have something in common. Perhaps this other man also has feelings for Guinevere as well. Never fear, Sister. We will watch and wait. Jealousy will rear its ugly head, somewhere, somehow."

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><p>Everyone had gone insane, completely insane. Merlin was certain. One minute he'd been in Gaius' chambers, helping the physician sort through the herbs he'd gotten that morning, then three pushy, noisy knights barged in…<p>

"_Gaius, Merlin," Merlin turned as his master walked briskly into the room, "We need your help. Something rather strange happened to us in the forest—"_

"_Merlin!" Gwaine said boisterously, grabbing him by the elbow, "The royalty will be on about this all day. We've got to get out of here and—"_

"_Gwaine, let him be!" Merlin had rarely seen Lancelot so vocally irritated, "Merlin, wouldn't you rather go for a walk? It's been such a long time since you've gotten to enjoy life outside the city walls." He raised his eyebrow significantly, and Merlin knew he wanted to go somewhere it would be safe to practice magic. Merlin appreciated being able to share his gift with Lancelot, but he was unnerved by the fact that the knight had chosen to bring it up in front of the crown prince. Speaking of which…_

"_Maybe you two have forgotten," Arthur huffed, "But I have a small matter to discuss with Merlin and Gaius. It only involves _protecting Camelot _and her _people!_ But you two go ahead, don't mind me—"_

"_Listen, your worshipfulness, I know you think you're the most important—"_

"_Can't either of you think about what Merlin—"_

"_Don't take that tone with me. I'm the—" _

_As all three knights started talking at once and the argument grew, Merlin exchanged a look with Gaius. The physician appeared to be as bewildered Merlin felt. Merlin decided to escape as his three friends argued. He quietly and quickly made for the door. He was almost there—_

"_Merlin!" Why couldn't Arthur notice evil sorcerers that easily? Merlin turned to face his master. "Where are you going?"_

"_I was just… going to… erm, go and… and muck out the stables?" Merlin grinned as disarmingly at his friends, hoping he could still get away. Shoveling horse dung was better than listening to these three bicker as they never had before._

"_Oh," said Arthur, "Alright then."_

And that brought him to where he was now, scooping up horse manure with Gwaine and Lancelot working on either side of him, each with a shovel of their own, while Arthur leaned on the door of a nearby stall. So his plan of escape hadn't gone quite as well as it could have. On the bright side, he was going to be done with his chores a lot sooner than usual.

"So," said Merlin, breaking the tense silence, "This smoke you mentioned, did you feel any different after it appeared? Did you notice anything out of the ordinary?"

"Well, Gwaine and Prince Arthur started acting like an idiot and snob, respectively," Lancelot said, with mock thoughtfulness "Wait, maybe they were already like that…"

"That's rich," snorted Gwaine, "Coming from the man who seems to have the rule book permanently suck up his—"

"Okay!" Merlin interrupted loudly. He was getting worried. All three of his friends had strong personalities, and they occasionally bantered with each other, but they were never confrontational and hostile like this. Something was wrong, "I think you three should go have Gaius check you over, just in case."

Lancelot nodded, "Alright, it looks like this job's about finished anyway." He and Gwaine put aside their shovels and followed Arthur toward the door. Merlin stifled a sigh of relief as they left. Finally, some peace and—

"Merlin? Aren't you coming? We finished, remember?"

"Right," Merlin winced, "I'm on my way." He'd never wished for more chores to do before.


	4. The Realization

_Disclaimer: I own Merlin... NOT!_

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><p>"Gaius!" The physician looked up in response to the whispered call. His ward was cautiously peeking through the door, "Are any of them in there?"<p>

"No," Gaius answered, grinning wryly, "You're safe for now."

"Finally!" Merlin sighed, plodding over. He dropped limply into a chair and let his body slump forward onto the table. There was a dull thud as his forehead impacted the hard surface, "Ow…" he moaned, not lifting his head.

Gaius patted his shoulder sympathetically. "I'll get you some supper."

"I'm too tired to eat," Merlin mumbled into the table.

"Has it been that bad?" Since the incident in the forest a few days ago, Arthur, Gwaine, and Lancelot has been acting oddly, and Merlin seemed to be taking the brunt of it.

Merlin groaned in response, "Today, I had to leave at dawn with Arthur for his hunt—not an easy task after staying out most of the night with Gwaine so he didn't get himself into trouble at the pub. And then, of course, we _happen_ to bump into Lancelot around mid-day, and he smirks like he's doing me this big favor, rescuing me from Arthur's company, but he just joins in the hunt and puts the prat in a worse mood. All three of them have been... I don't know, almost _angry_ at each other. And then if it's just me alone with one of them, they're asking me where I've been, why I don't spend time with them anymore, and they seem just as irritated with me as they are with each other!" Merlin sat up suddenly, looking at Gaius eagerly, "Please tell me you've found what's wrong with them."

"Unfortunately, I think I have," Gaius said, grimacing. He placed one of his large, old books in front of Merlin, who stared at the page intently for several minutes, "What do you think?" Gauis prompted.

"I think… I've forgotten how to read." Merlin glanced up apologetically, "I'm sorry, Gaius, I'm so tired, my brain's not functioning properly. I got through the first sentence and then I couldn't remember what it said, then I got distracted by how funny the shapes between the letters look—"

"It's quite alright my boy," Gaius said kindly, "I'll give you the short version."

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><p>Arthur couldn't sleep. He was frustrated. He hadn't gotten much sleep the night before, and then his hunt hadn't gone well, and then Merlin had promptly disappeared after bringing his dinner. He was probably off having a grand old time with Lancelot and Gwaine, his new best friends.<p>

He sighed and threw his covers off. He would go to the wall and get a breath of fresh air. Yes, that's what he needed. As he dressed and started off down the corridor, his thoughts drifted back to his manservant. Why should he care if the idiot liked the other knights better? He didn't care. He didn't need Merlin. It wasn't as if they were friends or anything. Well, maybe they were sort of friends. The master/servant relationship required something that he supposed could be called friendship. So, yes, fine, they were friends. But still, Arthur didn't need Merlin. He had plenty of other friends, like…

Oh.

The realization hit Arthur so hard that his steps faltered. He shook his head and slammed open the door in front of him, walking onto the wall and taking deep breaths of the cool night air. He sighed and looked out over Camelot.

He didn't have any other friends. Gwen was his love, they adored each other, and that was quite different. Everyone else—the knights, other nobles, his father— was bound to him by duty, fealty, or blood. Merlin wasn't even a member of his kingdom, yet he was always by Arthur's side, sometimes even when Arthur ordered him to stay away. He did need Merlin. Merlin knew him well. Merlin believed in him, even when he doubted himself. And Merlin was always loyal. Or, at least, he always had been…

Merlin was friends with Lancelot and Gwaine as well. It didn't seem fair that Merlin had other friends when Arthur didn't. He knew he couldn't ask Merlin not to be friends with them anymore, but he needed to know for sure that he had Merlin's complete loyalty. And he needed to know now.

Arthur turned on his heel, heading toward Gaius' chambers. As he rounded a corner, he almost barreled into Lancelot.

"Excuse me," growled the Prince.

"Your highness is excused," Lancelot said, smirking. Then his eyes narrowed suspiciously, "Where are you going?"

"Not that it's any of your business," Arthur said pointedly "But I'm going to speak to Merlin."

"At this hour?"

"I have a question I need to ask him."

"Well," Lancelot said with a mocking bow, "Don't let me detain you, _sire_."

Arthur glared and continued on his way. Lancelot waited only a few moments before following the prince.


	5. The Question

_Disclaimer: I don't own Merlin._

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><p>"So this powder, it makes them jealous of each other?" Merlin was trying to wrap his tired brain around what Gaius was telling him.<p>

"Actually, covetous might be a better word," Gaius replied, "Whatever person or thing they share strong, positive feelings for will become an object of contention between them."

"Gaius, small words, please."

Gaius sighed, "If all three of them love something or someone, they will feel jealous of each other concerning that person or thing."

"Okay," Merlin nodded slowly, "That would explain why they're so angry with each other. What do you think the object of the enchantment is?" Gaius just raised his eyebrows. "What?"

"Merlin, I know it's difficult, but try to think for a moment. Since they've gotten back, who has their attention been fixated on? Who haven't they been able to leave alone?"

Merlin's eyes widened. "What? But—no. They don't… _love _me!" Merlin was actually a bit nauseous at the thought.

"Merlin!" Gaius looked annoyed, "Don't be so utterly ridiculous! Do you love your mother?"

"Of course!"

"And me?"

"Yes."

"Gwen?"

"Yes."

"Arthur?"

Merlin just glared.

"Merlin, think about it. How are your feelings for Arthur, Gwaine, and Lancelot different than your feelings for Gwen, your mother, and me?"

Merlin considered this. When he thought about it, he had to admit he felt just as strongly for the knights and the prince as he did for the rest of his friends and family. Still, it didn't seem right…

"You see?" Gaius continued, "There are different kinds of love. The bond of friendship can be just as strong as romantic love. Often, it's stronger. Why shouldn't they feel for you as you feel for them? Haven't they all proved that they care about you?"

Merlin couldn't argue with that, but he wasn't going to agree with it either. At least, not out loud. "This enchantment is stupid," he said, pouting.

"Actually, it was far too clever for my liking," Gaius looked hard at Merlin, "Gwaine was not meant to be enchanted; he was there by chance. The trap was intended for only Lancelot and Arthur. They were on patrol together. Who would have been the object of jealousy between them?"

"Gwen," Merlin whispered. He had gone cold all over. If his friends were this upset over him, he could only imagine the violence that would have erupted over Guinevere. At that moment, Merlin was very grateful for Gwaine and his blundering ways. He met Gaius' eyes seriously, "How do we fix this?"

"We can't." Gaius sighed, sitting heavily. "It's up to them. They must experience a change of heart. This spell has twisted their love into selfishness. They don't care about you right now. If one of them were in prison, he'd rather have you in cell beside him than know that you were free and enjoying your life without him. To break the spell, they must truly care about you more than themselves. They must show real love."

"Great," Merlin sighed "That's going to be hard enough with Lancelot and Gwaine acting the way they are, but selflessness isn't easy for His Royal Pratness even on a good day."

"Merlin!" Speak of the devil. Merlin had thought the prince would be asleep already, but here he was, barging into Gaius' chambers without even a knock. Honestly.

"Yes, sire?" Merlin said as he tiredly got to his feet tiredly.

"Listen," said Arthur, crossing his arms and fixing Merlin with a serious stare, "I know that there have been a lot of changes recently, what with the new knights and my father not being quite himself lately. I hope you know that you are one of the few people that I rely on, that I trust implicitly."

Merlin gaped. "Thank you, Arthur."

Arthur waved Merlin's words away, "That wasn't a complement, it was a fact." Ah. That was the Arthur he knew. "What I'm getting it is this: I need to know that my trust in you isn't misplaced. If it came to a choice between me and some of the other knights, say… Lancelot and Gwaine, for example, who would you choose?"

"Wow," came a voice from the doorway. Merlin looked up to see Lancelot come through the door, "That's some question, Arthur. I can see why it couldn't wait till morning."

Arthur rolled his eyes and turned his attention back to Merlin. "I know how you are, Merlin. You won't want to hurt anyone's feelings. Now that our conversation has been intruded upon, you'll need time to think of a diplomatic answer. You can tell me first thing tomorrow morning." Arthur strode to the door, pushing past Lancelot on the way out before turning at the door to say, "Good evening," as he left.

"Well, Merlin," Lancelot said, "I actually think I'm interested in the answer to that question as well. Because, if it was a choice between you and Arthur, between my lord and my friend, you know that I would stand by you. And really Merlin, because of who you are and what I know, I'm faced with that choice every day. I hope I haven't been throwing my loyalty away." Without another word, he turned and left the room.

Merlin stood blinking for a few moments before turning back to Gaius.

"What am I going to do?"


	6. The Headache

_Disclaimer: I don't own Merlin_

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><p>Merlin trudged toward the prince's chambers, his heart as heavy as the laden breakfast tray he carried. He felt defeated. He had stayed up half the night considering the choice before him, and he still had no answer. He could no more choose between Lancelot, Gwaine, and Arthur than he could choose between Gaius and his mother. He would always do what was right, and he would always protect his friends. How could he explain this to two people not in their right minds?<p>

"Hey, Merlin!" The warlock jumped nearly a foot in the air, as he was startled out of his thoughts by his third problem: Gwain. "I've been looking for you." The knight fell into pace beside Merlin, looking cheerful.

"Morning, Gwaine," Merlin grinned, hoping to keep the good mood rolling. It was good to see one of his friends smiling for a change.

"Listen," Gwaine said glancing at him, "I heard what Lancelot and His Royalness asked you," Merlin's spirits dropped. He braced himself to hear Gwaine ask what his other two friends had already demanded. "And I just want you to know that I think they were completely out of line. I would never ask you something like that."

Merlin stopped in his tracks. "Really?" He said, smiling. Hope bubbled in his chest. Maybe Gwaine had broken the curse!

"Never," Gwaine said as he stopped to face Merlin, "You're my friend, Merlin. Friends help each other, they don't make each other answer stupid questions."

Merlin laughed and started toward the prince's chambers once more, "I'm so glad to hear you say that, Gwaine. Gwaine?" He realized the knight was no longer walking beside him, but before he could turn around, something hard connected with the back of his head. Stars exploded across his vision. Darkness closed in on him, and the last thought that raced through his head before he blacked out was: _Sod it, I'm going to get Arthur's breakfast all over my clothes._

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><p>Arthur was annoyed. Merlin was late, and though this was hardly an irregular occurrence, Arthur knew the reason this time, and it bothered him. Merlin was avoiding him, avoiding the question he had asked last night. It was a simple question—where did Merlin's loyalty lie? Arthur had been confident in Merlin's answer—well, mostly confident, but really, Merlin wouldn't, <em>couldn't<em> betray Arthur's trust.

Still, it was annoying to be kept waiting, so Arthur dressed himself and set off down the hall to find the idiot. He hadn't gone far when he spotted something that made him speed up his pace: a tray of food strewn across the floor. As he knelt to examine the mess, he heard approaching footsteps. He looked up, hoping to see Merlin stumbling up with a new tray of food, apologizing for the mess. Instead, he saw one of his least favorite people at the moment.

Lancelot froze upon seeing the spill, then rushed up, worry in his eyes. "What happened?"

"I don't know," Arthur said, clenching his fists, "Either Merlin's gotten clumsier, or someone's gotten Merlin." Arthur stood and strode down the corridor.

"Where are you going?" Lancelot said as he stood and followed Arthur.

"To find Merlin, and, if my guess is right, to give Gwaine a well needed beating."

* * *

><p>The first thing Merlin noticed was the smell. Had he fallen asleep in the stables again? Draped over a barrel? A very… warm barrel… that was moving…<p>

Then the pain hit him, and he had to hold back a groan. His whole head was pounding, and he brought his hands to his forehead… wait a minute, he _couldn't _bring his hands to his forehead because his arms, along with the rest of his body, were tied to the barrel—no, not a barrel, a _horse—_and… oh no, no, no, not good, not good… okay, keep calm, don't show that you're awake, reach out with your senses. Okay, not the sense of smell, _don't_ reach out with the sense of smell. Hearing. Concentrate on hearing. Okay, there were hoof beats, the jingle of the bridle… the sounds of another horse just ahead of him and… the rider of that horse was whistling a very familiar tune.

This time, Merlin didn't bother holding his groan in.

"Merlin, my friend!" Gwaine said boisterously, "Are you awake?"

"Gwaine," Merlin moaned.

"Yes, Merlin?" came the overly cheerful answer.

"I'm going to ask you a question, and I need you to give me an honest answer. Can you do that?"

"Yes, Merlin."

Merlin gritted his teeth, "Did you or did you not hit me over the head, tie me to a horse, and sneak me out of Camelot?"

He heard Gwaine sigh, "I helped you out of a situation that you didn't have the guts to get out of yourself."

"By kidnapping me?"

"Yes. And you're welcome."

Merlin sighed. This turn of events was exceedingly unhelpful, but he was feeling a bit grateful that he hadn't had to choose between Lancelot and Arthur. Not that he would ever tell Gwaine that. Ever.

"Can you at least untie me?" Merlin whined.

There was a pause while Gwaine thought this over. "No, not yet," he answered, "I want to get a bit farther from Camelot. Hang in there, mate. We'll be home-free soon!"

Once more, Merlin groaned.

* * *

><p>Arthur stalked through the forest, anger rolling off of him in waves. He heard Lancelot tromping along behind him, but he tried not to pay attention to that. Instead, he focused on the clear trail in front of him, and for fun, he focused on what he was going to do when he got his hands on the man that had left that trail.<p>

Gwaine had to be the worst knight in history. He had disrespected his rulers, kidnapped a citizen of Camelot, deceived the palace guards, fled the city, and, to add insult to injury, he had done absolutely nothing to cover his tracks. This made Arthur almost as mad as all the rest—he had spent weeks showing the knights how to travel undetected. Apparently, this was another way for Gwaine to thumb his nose at the prince.

Well, all the better for Arthur. Gwaine didn't have much of a head start, and he was moving slowly because of Merlin. Arthur knew that he and Lancelot were closing the distance quickly. In fact he could hear voices in the woods ahead…

* * *

><p>"Gwaine, come on, this is ridiculous! Untie me!" Merlin was really getting annoyed. Normally in a situation like this, he would use some subtle magic to loosen his bonds. But with his head aching as it did, it was a struggle just to keep his eyes open. Every time he reached for his magic a spike of pain would shoot through his head. He was feeling a bit helpless, which was making him more than a bit frustrated.<p>

"No can do, Merlin," said Gwaine, still as chipper as ever, "Arthur and Lancelot will be catching up soon, and I want you well out of the way while we sort things out."

"You wanted them to follow us?" Merlin thought Gwaine was showing an unusual amount of forethought.

Gwaine shrugged, "I knew they wouldn't let us go. I decided it would be best for us to have it out away from Camelot. Then, you and I can be on our way."

"Gwaine," Merlin sighed, knowing it was pointless to argue even as he said it, "You're my friend, and I appreciate what you're trying to do for me, but my place is in Camelot. It's my home, I belong there."

"My friend," Gwaine said, shaking his head in a patronizing way, "This is what's best for you. Trust me. In a few days, you'll be thanking me."

A rustle from the bushes nearby saved Merlin from having to answer. Gwaine promptly dismounted. "That'll be your other _friends_," he said, sauntering over to stand between Merlin and the figure emerging from the forest's shadows. Unfortunately for both of them, it wasn't Arthur or Lancelot.

Morgana's eyes lit with glee as she took in Merlin, still tied to the back of the horse, and the lone knight drawing his sword in front of her.

"Oh," she laughed, "This is _so_ much better than I could have imagined!"


	7. The Skirmish

"Stay back!" Gwaine snarled.

"Gwaine," Merlin said nervously, "Now might be a good time to untie me. As in, _right now_!" Gwaine stepped back toward Merlin but kept his eyes and weapon focused on the witch.

"Oh, I wouldn't do that, Sir Gwaine," Morgana crooned, "He'll probably go running back to Camelot to be with his _other_ friends." She cackled as Gwaine's steps faltered and his eyes filled with uncertainty.

"Gwaine, don't listen to her," Merlin pleaded, "I want to help you fight her, now let me loose!" Gwaine didn't move.

Morgana was practically doubled over with laughter. "This is _too_ good," she gasp, "I'm guessing you've realized by now, Merlin, that this was not the original plan, but I think I like it even better." She broke into giggles again and wiped a few tears from her eyes.

Merlin was not amused. He had been humiliated many times. His life had been threatened many, many times. Now, tied to the back of a horse in front of a cackling witch while too concussed to use his magic with only a mentally unstable man with a sword to defend him, Merlin was being humiliated _and _threatened, and that just didn't seem fair.

Gwaine took advantage of Morgana's hysterics, charging at her, sword ready. But the witch reacted quickly, and Gwaine was sent flying into a nearby tree. Dazed, he tried feebly to get to his feet.

"Well, Merlin, it's just you and me now," Morgana said, stepping closer with a predatory glint in her eye, "I think what I'll do is kill you, leave your friend here to take the blame, and wait for the other two to come along. If they don't kill each other, I'll be here to finish the job." She smiled as she reached beneath her cloak and drew a small dagger.

Merlin was frantically struggling, both externally with the ropes and internally with his magic. Neither battle was going particularly well for him. Black dots and white flashes danced across his vision, and pain blocked out all other thoughts. As his foe drew nearer, only one coherent thought formed in his agonized mind: _This is such a stupid way to die_.

"I don't think so, Morgana." Merlin stopped struggling and looked up to see two figures rush between him and the dagger-wielding woman. Arthur! Lancelot! While he was, of course, pleased to see them, he couldn't help but think, _I'm never going to live this down_. Well, at least he would live.

"Arthur, it's so good to see you," Morgana smirked, "Are you sure that it's me should be fighting? Aren't there others here that have wronged you?" Arthur seemed to flinch at this. His sword, lowered slightly…

"NO!" Arthur snapped, bringing his defense back up, "You're the enemy here, Morgana, not them."

"Well," Morgana pouted, "That's too bad," her expression shifted to a cruel smirk, "I guess I'll just have to kill you all myself."

Arthur looked around quickly, trying to form some kind of plan. He met Lancelot's eyes, and a silent conversation passed between them. Lancelot hesitated, then nodded.

"Gwaine," Arthur called, "Take Merlin and get out of here!"

"What?" Merlin squawked, "No, no, Arthur, just untie me, I can help! Arthur!"

Arthur barely heard him. He felt like a huge weight had been lifted from his brain. He shook his head and saw Lancelot doing the same out of the corner of this eye. For the first time in days, he felt stress free, which was odd considering their current predicament.

"Come on, Merlin, Prince's orders!" Gwaine was grinning as he grabbed the reins of Merlin's horse and ran off through the forest.

"No!" Merlin cried, as he bounced away, "Oh come _on_!" The sound of hoof beats died away as they disappeared from sight.

"Fine," Morgana smiled as she drew her magic in, "You first, them later."

Arthur glanced at Lancelot, "Look, if you want to go after them, you can."

Lancelot met his eyes and smiled, "No. I'm with you, Arthur."

Everything that had happened in the past few days was swept away as the two warriors faced the witch—side by side.

* * *

><p>"Gwaine, we have to go back!" Merlin thought he might go mad. He had left his friends in danger, his magic wasn't responding, his head was pounding with every hoof beat, and he was still tied to a bloody <em>horse<em>!

"Merlin!" Gwaine stopped and turned to look him in the eye, "I'm not letting you go back there and get yourself killed. They're not worth it!"

Merlin swallowed, blinking furiously.

"Gwaine, please."

* * *

><p>"You've lost, Arthur" Morgana was cold and calm as she approached the prince, who was pinned to a tree by some sort of spell.<p>

"No!" Lancelot yelled, charging at her from behind, sword raised. As Morgana waved her hand and sent him toppling several yards back, Arthur made a mental note to spend some time talking to his knights about stealth and the element of surprise. If he got out of this alive, that is.

Morgana stooped to pick up Arthur's own sword, ready to run him through.

"Goodbye, brother."

The witch drew the sword back. Suddenly the sound of hoof beats filled the clearing. Morgana's brow creased in confusion as a frantically galloping horse broke into the clearing. Morgana was sent flying as the rider clubbed her with what looked to be a large tree branch. Arthur was released from the spell that bound him to the tree, and he quickly retrieved his sword, which had been knocked from Morgana's grasp. He gaped at his rescuer.

"Gwaine?"

The knight flipped his hair and smiled, "At your service, princess." His brow furrowed, "Where's Lancelot?"

"Here," the knight in question limped over, "I'm alright."

"Not for long!"

All three men whirled to face Morgana, who had regained her feet and was now looking seriously pissed. A jet of fire surged from her outstretched hands, heading right towards them. There was no time to move. They felt the heat raging from it as it raced forward to swallow them. Then, at the last second, the flames curled back on themselves, compressed into a brilliant miniature sun, and shot strait at the witch. She screamed and disappeared in a swirl of wind. The ball of light seemed to explode, but there was no force behind the explosion, just a blindingly bright flash and a warm gust of air.

* * *

><p>Hiding in the trees just out of sight, Merlin sighed and lowered his hands, congratulating himself on once again arriving and regaining the use of his magic just in time to save everyone. To his great relief, it also seemed that his friends had broken the enchantment. And to his even greater relief, he was no longer tied to a horse. On the downside, his legs had stopped working. He fell to the ground in what he believed to be a well-deserved faint.<p> 


	8. The End

None of the three men were surprised to find an unconscious Merlin lying on his face just outside of the clearing, but only Lancelot realized that he had been their savior. Again.

"Good God, Gwaine" said Arthur, kneeling beside his recumbent servant and prodding him in the shoulder, "How hard did you hit him?"

"Not that hard," Gwaine shifted guiltily, "Actually, it all goes a bit blurry for me after the odd smoke in the forest the other day. Same for you two?"

His companions nodded.

"From what I do remember," Arthur grimaced, "We were not at our best."

"That doesn't really matter now, does it?" Lancelot asked, "We were wrong yes, but we were enchanted, and we managed to overcome the spell. I think the three of us can forgive each other for that." The other two knights nodded. "So I guess that just leaves Merlin."

"Yeah," Gwaine cringed, "I guess we owe him quite a big apology too."

"Actually," Lancelot said, chuckling, "I meant, how are we going to get Merlin back to Camelot?"

"Maybe we should just leave him here," Arthur said, as he gave his servant another poke. Lancelot raised his eyebrow at the prince. "What? He's going to wake up eventually. I'm not carrying his lazy body all the way home."

"Well, we do have a horse…" Lancelot said.

Gwaine winced, "Merlin's not going to like this."

* * *

><p>The situation seemed very familiar. The smell, the motion, the awkward position he was lying in, and—oh, wow, pain, yes, lots and lots of pain in his head. Fortunately, he already had a standard response for this situation. He groaned.<p>

"Merlin?" Well, at least Lancelot sounded concerned.

"Come on, Merlin, rise and shine!" Gwaine was loud. So very loud.

He decided to groan again.

"Come on, Merlin. Let's have you lazy-daisy!" Merlin wasn't even going to dignify that comment with a groan. Arthur was such an ass.

"Guys," Merlin said with much effort, "Quick question—"

"Have we tied you to the back of a horse?" Gwaine interrupted, "Yes, we did. No one hit you on the head this time though, you just passed out. And we tied you to the horse for your own good, really. We had to get you back to Camelot somehow."

"Well," said Merlin, "Now that I _am _awake, can you please untie me?"

"Tell me, _Mer_lin, can you walk?" Arthur drawled.

"Of course!"

"You haven't even opened your eyes yet!"

Valid point. Merlin forced his eyelids open and was assault by light and color and waves of nausea. He thought another groan was appropriate.

"Sorry, Merlin," Lancelot said sympathetically, "I don't think you could even sit upright on the horse right now."

"Actually, I'm pretty sure he'd slide off if he wasn't tied on…" Gwaine murmured.

"Face it, Merlin," Arthur said haughtily, "None of us are having you collapse again, so you're stuck like that until we get to the palace."

Merlin sighed, giving in. As he listened to his three companions bicker—in a non-aggressive, cheerful way, thank goodness—he closed his eyes and relaxed. He was actually pretty comfortable. Merlin let himself doze.

After all, what was a little humiliation between friends?

The End

* * *

><p><em>Well, I hope you all enjoyed the story. Abundant thanks to my splendid reviewers!<em>


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